Machine for cutting food products



Aug. 20, 1946. P. F. QUINN MACHINE FOR cuwwme FOOD rnonucws Filed April 4, 1945 3 Sheets-Shegt l AT TORNEYS Aug. 20, 1946. P. F. QUINN 2,406,107

7 MACHINE FOR CUTITING FOOD. PRODUCTS v File'd April/1. 1945 s sheets-shut 2 P F; QUINN- MACHINE FOR CUTTING Fdpn PRODUCTS Filed April 4, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 I I I I I I I u I h I I 1 n 1 .mvem'on PETER F.QUINN ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 20, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MACHINE FOR CUTTING FOOD PRODUCTS Peter F. Quinn, Racine, Wis.

Application April 4, 1945, Serial No. 586,571

2 Claims.

My invention refers to machines for slicing vegetable products, and it has for its object to provide a machine embodying triple slicing devices in gear connection, one of which device is adapted to cut whole slices from a product, while the other two devices are adapted to slice and split the slices into lengths whereby, for example, shoestring potatoes and French fried potatoes are produced simultaneously with the slicing operation to economize in the time of preparing food products.

With the above and other minor objects in view, the invention consists in certain peculiarities of construction and combination of parts, as will be fully set forth hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings and subsequently claimed. 7

In the drawings:

Figure 1 represents a plan view of the machine with the cover removed, illustrating the drive mechanism and a double reciprocative carriage, with parts broken away and in section, as indicated by line II of Figure 3;

Figure 2, a longitudinal sectional view through the same, the section being indicated by line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3, a cross section through the machine,

the section being indicated by line 3--3 of Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 4, a vertical sectional view through the machine, particularly illustrating the reciprocative carriage mechanism, the section being indicated by line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5, a detail sectional face view, illustrating the rotary cutting disc, the section being indicated by line 5-5 of Figure 3;

Figure 6, a vertical sectional view through same, the section being indicated by line 6-6 of Figure 5;

Figure 7, a detail sectional view of a cutting disc shifting clutch mechanism, the section being indicated by line 1-1 of Figure 6, and

Figure 8, a detailed vertical section illustrating a fragment of the disc feeding hopper and cutting disc.

Referring by characters to the drawings, I indicates a rectangular open mouthed casing, having hinged thereto a cover 2. Secured to the bottom I of the casing is a housing 3, into which is journaled a driven shaft 4, the same being in belt drive connection with a motor, not shown, which is carried by a hollow standard that depends from the casing.

The driven shaft 4 carries a worm 5 within the housing, and said worm is meshed with a worm the wheel 6, which worm wheelis mounted upon a countershaft I, journaled in the housing, and extending at a right angle to the main driven shaft.

The end of the countershaft is splined, and has secured thereto a cutting blade 8 extending in both directions from said shaft.

As best illustrat d in Figures 1, 6 and 7, the splined end of shaft I has adjustably mounted thereon, a, sleeved hub 9 of a disc ID, which disc is formed with a radial slot II! from its hub for the reception of the blade 8.

The casing has projecting therefrom, an open mouthed hood I I for the reception of the disc Ill, and said hood carries an inclined feed hopper I2 for the reception of root vegetables or the like.

Fitted into a groove of the disc hub 9, is a ring 9, to which is attached the forked end of a bell crank lever I3, which lever, as shown in Figure 1 of the drawings, is pivoted to an ear of the casing.

The opposite arm of the bell crank lever is connected to a rod I4, which rod extends through the casing, and is in threaded union with the end of the bell crank lever.

When it is desired to vary the thickness of'a slice, the bell crank lever is manipulated through rotation of the rod I4, whereby the disc I0 is moved back and forth with relation to the blade 8 to control the thickness of the cut slice, which slice passes through the slot II) of the disc, and is discharged through the hood mouth.

The housing 3 has extending therefrom parallel guide-rods l5 upon opposite sides of the driven shaft 4.

The guide-rods serve as supports for a reciprocative carriage A, the base l6 of which is mounted thereon, and has arms I6 extendingtherefrom. V

The base I6 of the carriage is formed with a pocket ll, the upper portion of which pocket is provided with apertures for the reception of the driven shaft 4, which extends therethrough, it

being understood that said driven shaft is formed with a spline 4' from end to end of its exposed portion. A worm I8 is mounted upon the driven shaft 4, and has a feather engaging the spline.

The cutting edges of these blades 22 are aligned,

with vegetable receivingpads 23, andthe pads are supported by depending legs 24, which are adjustably secured to fingers 25, which fingers, extend from the flanges of the carriage plates 2 I, as best shown in Figure 3 of the drawings.

The pads 23 serve as reciprocative bottom for a pair of verticallyvdisposed hoppers 26, which are formed in the casing cover 2. It will also be noted that-:the inner ,walllof each hopper carries; a gauge strip 25", which is aligned with the top surface of the pads, and serves as a stop whereby the slice of vegetable resting on said pad, is held== in alignment with the hopper... It should a be noted, the adjustability of the bottom pads 23,

with reference to the knife edge 22, will permit;

varying the thickness of the slicecut fromthe vegetable product. V

The cross-shaft hasmounted thereon groups: of toothed splitting wheels 20' positioned directly u under,,the.-carriage plates-2!, and. one set of the.

same, as shown in: Figure 3, ,are-\ spaced. 010535130- getherbye-rings.-

This cutting apparatus is adjusted to producewhat is,-known as shoestring potatoes. The oppositesideefwheels 0f. the s litting. apparatus are spaced widely apart; for thejpurposeof spIitting coarse zFrench friedtpotatoes. Obviously, other vegetableproducts maysbe treated with this corn--v bination; slicer and split-ten device.

As shown iin-Figure l the-bottoms of the carriage plates 2| have'd etachably secured thereto, comb-bodies, 22' through-which the cutting surfaces of the-Whee1s--20!l revO1Ve... Inorder to separate thesplit productsrfrom the wheels and discharge .the same -thr.ough casing, bottom openings B, B,- I, providesdownwardly inclinedslotted StIip 21,= which :strips are detachablysecuredto' the inner. walls ,-of:.the carriage; flanges, 2i and.

eXtendinwardly betweensthesp1itting. wheels, to the hub :ringsi thereof;

Theparriage is reciprocatedupon itsguide rods r and driven-shaft-dbya wormswheel 28, the said, worm whee1 being mounted upon a .-.vert-ica1ly disposed. countershaft 2 9, journaledin the housing- 3,- theadrive sbeing imparted'to-the. worm. wheel;

fromithe i-interineshedworm 5 of the. driven .sh-aftl The iprojecting; upper :end of-the .countershaft carries-a crank. 3il,.,whi.ch. crank-is pivotally connected by a .pitman rod 3 I to. :the-base portion;

of the carriage. Hence, with.,each rotation. of

the :crankm'ifly the "carriage will: be reciprocated forwardly, and. backwardly; as .indicated in full and dotted lines, Figure 4.

From. the foregoing;description.. it. is apparent that w-hen amasswbod-y; such .as. a potato, is inserted-into either .or =both of the. hoppers 26, and the carriage-is in thepositiomshownin fulllines,

Figure-. 4, as-it.travelsionwardlyfitc the position indicated in dotted lines, the knife blade will sever a slice therefrom and said slice is held against forward travel between the gauge strip 26'. The slice, which is resting upon the pad, will be severed into a series of strips, by the splitting wheels 29', and discharged out of the casing through the opening B.

It is apparent that the splitting wheels 20' rods-upon opposite..,si,des of .the shaft, acarriage mounted upon .theeguide-rods, having, a. ,pocket, therein, a :bottom ipad-forgthe hopper carriedby the carriageand adapted to ,travel backandforthi. under .saidhopper,v a bladerextending. cross-wise, of the ,pad, spaced above.andrearwardly -of-. ..th e= edgeof said pa,d;.a ,cross.-shaft journaled in the.

carriage, extending ,.through..,.the pocket..portion.- thereof, a. worm wheel cairiedby,thepross-shaft within the pocket, a... feathered. worm...slidably;v mounted upon the spline drive shaft innmesh,

with IhefiI'OSS-rShflft.:WDI'Il'lrWhEBl, agang of split.- ting wheels carriedby, said cross. -shaft rearward- 1y of, and .in juxtapositionitovthe knife. blade,.. countershaft in. gear connection ,with ,the, driveshaft, and a crank armparriedby thecounten..

shaft in pitman connection with the carriage.

2. In a machine for cutting,.vegetablesJnto different sized slicedportions having .triple,. ,feed

hoppers and..jmovab1e. knivesjor ,each hopper; the combination. of .a. driving.,mechanismfon the, knives. comprising a. pcwer.shaft.,- a..w,orm .fixed.. thereon, a counter, shaftiinugearl connection;

with the power shaft. wormforirdriving the knife of, one-hopper, -a ,ps'econdiworm in splinedg, connection with said power shaft, a movable..can-

riage having a, pocket. zencasing thesecond worm wheel; guides f or, the. carriage, .a evertically disgy posed rotary counter shaft 'in driving gearrconr. nectionwith-the fixed power. shaft. worm acrank carried .by the. ,counter. shaft .in .pitmanconnece tion with} the A carriage,- a .,cross.shaftnjournaled.1 in the carriage in gear. connectiontwith' the. power..

shaft splined .wormwheelfonactuating.the slicing knivesof .the ,other ,two ,hoppers, ,and -gangs; of splitting wheels carriedaby-ethe -cross.,shaft for...

forming. .thevegetableslices, fromJheJast. men:- tioned twohoppers,intodengths.. 1

PETER F. 

